Unfortunately, high rates of motorcycle accidents occur because motorcycles, due to their narrow dimension and relatively fast motion, are unnoticeable. In particular, when a driver of a motor vehicle for any reason, changes lanes, without noticing that he is actually being overtaken by a motorcycle from the rear side (or any other vehicle approaching from the rear side). The sudden appearance of the motorcycle can be disorienting to the driver of the motor vehicle and much more dangerous for the driver of the motorcycle.
In many cases, the attempt of the motorcycle's rider to avoid a collision will result in either a crash or in losing control over the motorcycle. This situation is dangerous to all vehicles in the vicinity, and has often resulted in fatal automobile accidents.
Failure to notice a motorcycle or any other vehicle which is approaching from the rear side, can occur relatively often and even when the front light of the motorcycle is switched on. Additional conditions—such as, when the motor vehicle windows are closed and the heater or the air condition is on, and the radio is also on with the windows closed—increases the isolation of the motor vehicle drivers and as a result, motorcycles are becoming more and more invisible. Additionally, excessive stimulations diminish the ability of the driver to pay attention to hardly noticeable vehicles approaching from the rear side.
Various methods for detecting other adjacent motor vehicles have been previously offered. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,931 discloses a mobile unit detection system or information system. In this system, the existence of a car or other mobile unit can be detected only upon receiving a necessary signal. However, when a motor vehicle intends to change lanes and a motorcycle arrives from behind, the rider of the motorcycle is unable to determine whether or not he had been noticed by the driver of the motor vehicle. Since U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,931 determines that its mobile unit “may transmit a response signal upon receiving the detection” the driver of the motorcycle can only assume that the driver of the motor vehicle—that intends to make a turn—had sensed his movement straight ahead. In this case, the operation of vehicles becomes speculative. Moreover, the system proposed by this patent, as with other similar publications, overloads the drivers with excessive and complex information. Therefore, what is needed is a simple notification that would not deviate the driver's attention and that addresses the above-identified concerns regarding such situations. In particular, there is a need for a reciprocal vehicle safety and warning system that is capable of notifying the driver of a motor vehicle whenever there is a motorcycle that is approaching from the rear side of his motor vehicle and in exchange involuntarily, automatically and independently of protocol communication notifying the motorcycle's rider that he had been noticed and as a result, it is safe to proceed.
Therefore, the general aim of the present invention is to provide a safe noticeable cross-over of the motor vehicle between lanes and a safe overtaking of the motorcycle approaching from the rear side of the motor vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new, simple and safer system for warning concurrently both drivers, the driver of the motor vehicle and the rider of the motorcycle that is approaching from behind.
Still another important objective of the invention is to provide the driver of the motor vehicle with an indication of the direction from which the motorcycle approaching from the rear side proceeds, either from its left or right rear side.
Yet, another object of the present invention is to provide the driver of the motorcycle with remote indication whether the driver of the motor vehicle has been alerted regarding his approach.
These and other objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.